Experience Football - With Real Coaches and Players at Coaches Cabana

Pigskins are flying and all my teams - if you don't' count my fantasy football leagues - are all doing quite well. DSU is on the mend with new head coach Todd Cooley and on the plus side of the winning ledger - even with that forgetful loss last night in Livingston, AL, Ole Miss is moving forward in the Freeze era - though I wish he'd let the kicker on the field every now and again on fourth down, my Dolphins were undefeated but seem to be gaining needed confidence to get to the playoffs. As a sports writer I get to talk to coaches before and after games but never during. As a fan, I rethink many of their decisions and mumble under my breath when they don't run what I was thinking.

But wouldn't it be neat to watch your favorite college team and be able to chat with a big time coach about what's going on? Well, you can do just that at Coaches Cabana. It's a website where you can log in while watching one of 14 college teams play. Eight SEC teams - Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss all have former coaches or players watching the games and commenting and answering questions from fans. So what are the other six SEC schools waiting for? Maybe they don't know what a cabana is or how much fun this is for fans.

Last season, former University of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer had an idea. Why not bring the game closer to the fans and impart the knowledge that he garnered while coaching the Sooners for 16 years? So he set up a weekly webcast - in his own backyard Cabana and thus - Coaches Cabana was born. Switzer provided his own live video commentary for seven games to fans on their laptops, computers and mobile devices. He even brought in former players like Billy Sims and The Boz to provide some commentary.

The venture proved successful so he recruited other coaches and expanded the idea. Switzer and former CBS president Neal Pilson own the business along with a few more businessmen. The programs are streamed live over Rivals.com and they don't have any official affiliation with the NCAA or the schools. Switzer would like to build the network of Cabanas to 50 or more by next season.

Former assistant coach Max Howell does the Ole Miss games and legends Jackie Sherrill works for Texas A&M, Barry Switzer does Oklahoma and Fred Akers handles Texas. You can click on www.coachescanana.com to see the rest of the teams.

I caught up with Louisiana native and Ole Miss legendary quarterback, John Fourcade, who has the responsibility of working LSU games. Fourcade is loving the assignment and he's used to talking on radio and TV as he hosts "Inside the Red Zone" for Saints post-game festivities on 990 AM WGSO in New Orleans and has had other broadcasting gigs as well.

"It's a show where we watch the LSU game live and basically read tweets from people who are watching us on their iPhone or iPad or computer and socialize with me as the game is going on," Fourcade said. "I don't do play-by-play. We just comment on the play, comment on the games, comment on what we see and then we answer questions for people who Tweet in or email or Facebook - however people get questions to us."

The live TV event has been a fan favorite so far.

"It's a blast. I didn't know what to expect. I'm the only guy with a female co-host (De'Cha LaVeau). We broadcast from Hooters Restaurants and move it around," he said.

After the first week of broadcasting the site had over three million hits according to Fourcade.

"I know at one of my big sponsors, YahooSports.com, they're getting over 165 million hits a day," he said. "But I just enjoy doing it. It's fun and it keeps me involved in it."

Fourcade says the atmosphere is like "you and me watching a football game together at a pub and we just sit there and discuss 'Why did they do that?' Or 'Why did they run that?' We act like we're just two fans in the stands at a game and I respond right back to fans live."

LaVeau, an LSU alum, is the only female host in the mix but she's enjoying working with Fourcade and getting social media and sports mix just right.

"I love it. But it's where I belong. And social media... I'm the social media queen. I'm an actresses and I have another show I host. I'm an entertainer. So mixing sports n entertainment is JUST ME!"

And she's getting used to working with the Ole Miss legendary quarterback.

"I'm learning a lot. One day I'm going teach him how to loosen up though," she said with a laugh. "Our contrasting personalities work on camera."

LeVeau, a Mississippi native, moved to Louisiana in the seventh grade but grew up watching Ole Miss football with her favorite relative.

"Everyone who knows me, or is a friend or fan of mine, kneaux's that I am an LSU alumna and a DIE HARD TIGERS FAN! I LOVE THE GAME!," she said via Facebook. "I was a toddler sitting in my grandpa's lap watching (oh dear... here it goes... Ole Miss football. Don't dare tell John that. And of course all my life I was a cheerleader - but not in the 'cheerleader' sense. I'm talking competitive cheering. So every aspect of cheer I took serious. Including knowing PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SPORT(S) I WAS CHEERING FOR. And honestly, I just love blood sweat and tears as long as it's not mine. For me, it's like this.... I don't pretend to know as much as these guys (coaches). They're legends FOR A REASON!"

And LeVeau got the ultimate compliment from the Cabana Coach himself via Twitter back in August when he sent this tweet to Fourcade.

"John, you're right about host, she's good looking, vivacious and knows more football than you!"